'Treading carefully on thin ice, that was the only way . ' At seventy-six, Martin is devoted to his family life with his young wife and six-year-old son when he suddenly learns that he has only a few months to live. Shocked, he searches for answers, wrestling with his feelings and existential questions about his legacy, the meaning of his love and what can be achieved in the short time he has left. Martin wants to do everything right, but later life is full of surprises and unforeseen challenges that he must face. The Late Life is a story of navigating family, guilt, love and loss from Bernhard Schlink, one of the most masterful novelists of our age. Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins.